Proteolysis, lipolysis, texture and sensory properties of cheese ripened by Monascus fumeus

[Display omitted] •Monascus fumeus x08 can be used as adjunct starter to make Monascus-ripened cheese.•Monascus fumeus x08 could promote the extent and depth of proteolysis significantly.•The lipolysis in Monascus-ripened cheese was moderate.•Monacolin K and GABA levels were increased and enrich Monascus-ripened cheese functionality. Monascus spp. are fungi that have been applied in food production for centuries and produce a range of bioactive metabolites. The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of proteolysis, lipolysis, textural and sensory properties of internal mold-ripened cheese ripened by Monascus fumeus x08. The contents of pH 4.6-soluble nitrogen, 12% trichloroacetic acid-soluble nitrogen and 5% phosphotungstic acid-soluble nitrogen changed significantly during the ripening of the Monascus-ripened cheese. The peptides in the Monascus-ripened cheese were evaluated by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. During ripening, many low-molecular-weight peptides (MW